The Sparrow and the Raven
by CelestiasFaithful
Summary: Lila Evers has lived in Gatlin all her life, and all her life a boy had grown up with her in the shadows. His name was Macon. -and after years of no contact- their worlds will finally collide. (semi-AU)
1. Chapter 1

***crawls out from hole with a 3-foot long beard***

***old person voice* is it over?**

**Has the raids of the Beautiful Creatures movie fans finally ended?**

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**Hello again, Caster Chronicles fandom! **

**If you're one of the amazing people who were in this fandom pre-movie, you probably remember my previous works in this fandom. **

**But still, I did indeed leave as people -who thought that sad excuse of a book-to-movie adaptation was good- raided every corner of the fandom's digital existence. Now I'm reading _To Kill A Mockingbird_ in class, and Boo Radley and Boo from the books got me thinking about this fandom...and here I am. **

**After becoming a more seasoned veteran in the Doctor Who fandom, I've gotten a lot better with writing age-gap/"May-December" relationships (*cough* Whouffaldi *cough*), and I hope this new story will do my improvements justice when it is compared between my old Caster Chronicles stories and this one.**

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**PLEASE NOTE:**

**This story will not go with the movie canon whatsoever, and will try to stay as true to the book as much as possible. It will not be 100% book-canon, just due to the fact that I wanted to mix things up (for example, Lila and Macon meet earlier than at Duke, but besides a few things I am going to keep it as canon as possible. Mind you, there might be miniscule mistakes that come from me not remembering what I read over 3 years ago when I first picked up _Beautiful Creatures_ and the Wiki site not providing enough information to completely jog my memory.**

**Anywho- I hope you enjoy my literary return to the fandom, and please, if you do like it: review! :)**

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**Chapter 1-** _First Meeting_

Gatlin, South Carolina was abuzz as it would ever be as the first day of school began for all students. Students of all shapes, sizes, and ages walked to school, their bookbags over their shoulders.

One specific girl walked to school that morning. Her brown-auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes glistening in the morning summer light. Her sneakers squeaked lightly as she walked along the paved asphalt road to Gatlin Middle School.

In her opinion, Middle School was an amazing place. She had just left the 6th grade and graduated from the Elementary to the Middle School. She was overjoyed with the idea of no more lessons on fractions, Ancient Egypt, or Peter Pan. She had previously asked Middle Schoolers from last year what they did in class, and the answers astonished her. Ancient Rome, the War Between the States, equations, and Animal Farm. No more walking in lines and everyone having the same teachers. Lockers actually had combinations and students could roam freely from class to class.

She sat in her homeroom class as the teacher took role call. "Evers, Lila?"

She raised her hand enthusiastically. "-here!"

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The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Even though they weren't given recess time anymore, there was a playground between the middle school and the elementary that they would all congregate at before going home. The seventh graders had all initiated a giant game of tag amount the students there, making the wire fence surrounding the playground the 'base' where one could catch their breath.

With a group of 12 children who were 'it', most of the others had stood by the fence for a while. Lila was also there, but looking over the fence, across the road, and into the forest beyond. Suddenly, a bush moved across the street, a pair of eyes peering over at her. She slightly cocked her head in curiosity, making eye contact with the person. The eyes blinked, and then the person retreated back into the woods. She could tell it had been someone her age, and shrugged it off as a group of kids outside the playground playing hide-n-seek.

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Lila walked home from school, her feet tapped at the asphalt. Small imprints of the soles of her shoes left on the black rubbery material that had been out down that summer to fix cracks and holes in the roads. For Gatlin, that meant that the town has going up in the world. There had been so many cracks prior to, the roads were about as green as the grass. On the way home, she decided to rest under an apple tree. It was Farmer Finch's land, which she knew meant she was allowed to sit under a tree, pick a fruit, etc.- as long as not a single finger touched his crops when the time came for planting, harvesting, and the time between.

She plucked an apple off of a low branch, shinning it unladylike with her shirt. She took a large bite into it, her loud crunch almost preventing her from noticing the movement in the nearby bushes. She looked up, seeing the same pair of eyes. "-hi again!" She greeted happily at the hiding child. "-you want an apple? They're just ripe!" She said, only to have the pair of eyes stay still, staring at her curiously. She shrugged it off once more, and looked down at the apple for a moment. "-my Momma says that the food that grows here is special. 'The sunshine and the happiness of this town gets into them and makes them taste even better' she says, but I don't believe her. It's dumb. A peach from Summersville tastes exactly the same as from here." She said, practically talking aloud to no one in particular at this point due to the fact the child in the underbrush was not participating whatsoever in her conversation.

"-why don't you play with us on the playground?"

No response.

"-I'd be happy to help introduce you to everyone, if you're scared."

Nothing.

"-do you not like school?"

Silence.

"-do you have a Daddy who'll beat 'ya if you don't come home from school promptly?"

Nothing.

She kept asking questions and telling stories- mostly stories, which were about herself since the other person refused to give even a slight nod. She got onto the topic of books. Lila loved to read. She told him of this story they were going to read in class called Animal Farm, which -according to what the back cover said- was about a farm full of animals who decide to kick out their owners and run the farm themselves. She told him tales about Scout Finch, Napoleon, and all sorts of other characters that she had read about.

Eventually she realized how late it was getting and picked up her bag. "-just lemme know if you wanna come play with us or somethin', okay? And if not- I'm always here if you wanna talk or somethin'." She said, swinging the bag over her shoulder and began to walk away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Whooo! I'm writing a fic that doesn't update only every two months for once!**

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**Dark Horse Writer (Chapter 1):**

**I hope the following chapter is better than the last- the first chapter we wrote between classes last week, and I probably read over the choppy-ness of it because the story is in my head already. This one was written only in a few periods of time, so hopefully it's more pleasing to you. :)**

**-and thank you for the tidbit about her living in Savannah. In the next chapter some light will be shed on why she's in Gatlin, but mostly it's because I forgot, and because I aimed on doing some chapters of them growing up together and getting to know each other, but not really in a relationship yet either.**

**((and trust me- they may not have been on this site, but I've seen people who liked that movie. Poor, poor people.))**

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**I also realized I gave gave clarification to why this story's title is all about birds, so here it is:**

**I decided to something a little symbolic of both Macon and Lila, using birds and what the birds are known to stand for. Macon, for instance, is the raven. Ravens symbolize mystery, but also a sort of mysterious wisdom. Lila is the Sparrow, which is characterized as being gentle, but also symbolizes intellect and Ancestral knowledge.**

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**Chapter 2-** _The Girl_

Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood sat in his room after his lessons for the day, staring at the ceiling. He was somewhat tall, but rail-thin with pale skin and dark hair. He laid down on his bed, taking a long sigh.

He had just talked to a normal human. A mortal.

His father Silas wouldn't have approved, but would have probably accepted it begrudgingly if he did end up having a mortal friend. But even though he was a bright child, the thought of Silas ever having to deal with him coming home with a mortal girlfriend slipped his mind. Girls were still gross to him, but soon he would find himself slightly infatuated with one of them.

One girl he had already let into his head was that girl. He had finished his studies and roamed off the manor property into the realm of the mortal world, watching the kids at school. He had tried to imagine himself as part of the group playing tag...trying to imagine him having a friend for once.

The lack of a friend had begun to sink in when it came to his life. Sure, there was Hunting, but Hunting wasn't really a friend. They were around each other wether either of them truly liked it or not. He wanted someone who actually liked him. Someone who wanted to actually be around him, instead of practically being stuck with him like Silas or Hunting. Even his father's dog Boo growled at him most of the time.

Macon knew he wasn't really wanted by his family. His mother had left when he was young, taking his baby sister Leah with her. He and Hunting had begged her not to go, but she did anyway. Hunting quickly got used to Silas and his ways, but he didn't. He was a typical 'Momma's boy', and cried over his mother and was yelled at for being a baby. He still hasn't seen his mother and sister, but had hardened up towards the subject.

Besides being told to 'suck it up' when it came to his mother and sister, Silas also taught him about his kind. Macon was an Incubus- a creature of the Caster world that killed for blood and fed off of it and would die in sunlight. He was practically a vampire. He was a monster. That's all he was. Even to the Caster world he was a monster.

The affects of sunlight on him weren't catastrophic yet, since he hadn't gone through his transformation that would make him into a monster. Since Macon was more of the Ferdinand-the-Bull of his family, he relied on Hunting to tell him the details of the Incubui facts of life.

_"When we get to become a teenager-" Hunting had explained one day a few years ago,_

_"-we're both already teenagers." Macon replied matter-of-factly at his other brother._

_"I mean when we're older. And you're not a teenager. I'm thirteen. You're only eleven. " He retorted_

_"-and a half."Macon crossed his arms, but kept listening to his brother's information._

_"-when we get about seventeen or somethin', we start to feel...funny. And not in a mortal way, either. Dad already told us about that stuff. But stuff like the sun hurting our skin and us wanting to drink blood and badass stuff like that." He explained excitedly, "-and he told me that the feelings get more and more intense...and then the transformation happens."_

_"Transformation? I thought the transformation was over a long period of time...like it progressed or something."_

_"Nope. All in one night. It hurts like'a bitch, Dad says. But besides that, you have to choose."_

_"What? Choose what? You only become a Blood Incubus!"_

_"-Dad doesn't like to talk about 'em...but there are these ones called Light Incubi. You choose to be Light or Blood, or at least The Order of Things gives your opinion somewhat of a thought, apparently. But still- Light ones are wusses." He said, characterizing them as the rail-thin kid on one's baseball team that'd get thrown over by the ball. "-Blood is where it's at, and Dad wants us to know it."_

But still, there he was: hiding in the underbrush, following the girl who had seen him. He smiled fondly as he remembered the smile he got from her hours earlier. The way she had talked to him...it was like he was worth something to her. Like he wasn't a monster- as if he was as normal as she was.

Macon sighed once more, knowing that he could never befriend the girl he had encountered. No matter how hard he wished it, she'd be his next meal when he transformed and became a true Incubus. He rolled over in bed, wrapping himself in the sheets in an attempt to shut out the nice girl who plagued his thoughts.

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**If you enjoyed this chapter, please go and leave a review!**

**I always enjoy seeing that people read my stories, and I also enjoy constructive criticism that will help me future writing.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A huge thank you to LadyMirrorMoon for following this story and adding it to their favorites!**

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**Chapter 3 -** _Undesirables &amp; Letters_

Lila sat at the dinner table that evening, eating microwave meals with her family. Except for the appliances that were attached to the house, the table and chairs were the only things not covered in boxes. Lila sat next to a large cardboard box marked 'BOOKS-LILA', which sat under another box marked 'KITCHEN'. Her family had moved unexpectedly when her mother's job had her move to a new location in Summerville, but no homes in their price range had been available. So they bought the small-yet-cozy home in Gatlin that they were soon going to call their own.

"So girls, how was school?" Asked her mother to Lila and her sister Caroline. "-good." Said Caroline flatly, "The high school is really old and hot, but besides that it's the same as any other school."

"That's good...and Lila, how about you?" Her mother asked, understanding for both of them that adjusting might not fully happen for a while.

"It was...interesting." She said with a slight shrug. "-I met someone..." She began, "I think he was playing hide-n'-seek with some kids, but I dunno. He was hiding in a bush and didn't really talk...but he seemed to be interested in what I had to say." She explained with another shrug of uncertainty.

"Now, Lila..." Began her father, running a hand through his hair nervously. "-we're not a family that discriminates. You know that. But I talked to some folks in town and there are some families in this town who are...'undesirables' per say..." He began, quickly glancing at his wife to back him up.

"-Your father means, Lila...that there are some families who...aren't the people you should be making friends with- either of you. They're pretty noticeable if you see 'em, but still...don't talk to them, 'kay?" She said with a pleadingly sweet smile as her daughters nodded acceptingly, but Lila didn't leave it at that.

"-who are they? Why are they undesirables? If the kid I met was one, he wasn't bad at all. Just...quiet and curious. Like Bambi." She said, glancing over at the cardboard box above her mother's head in her line of view labeled 'MOVIES' before making her reference. "-they said the big family to avoid are the Ravenwoods." Said Mr. Evers, "-they live in an old plantation. The only one that wasn't burnt to the ground during the War Between the States. Rumor has it that old Abraham Ravenwood sold his soul to the Devil himself to not have it burn down, but that's poppycock." He said, "-but there have been strange occurrences with the family. Word has it that the wife left with the daughter and all there is left of the family in the place is the father and at least one son. They're all shut-ins. Don't go shoppin', don't attend Church, and don't have the kids go to school." He said, quickly folding his arms. "-down at that new Dairy King they say nobody knows if they're just white trash, or if they're too stuck-up to even acknowledge the entire town of people they live around."

"-that's enough." Scolded Mrs. Evers, lightly kicking her husband under the table. Luckily Caroline and Lila had toned him out when his tangent began and started their own conversation.

"So- was he cute?" Asked Caroline, wiggling her eyebrows. "One- eww, and Two- he was hiding in a bush. I didn't see all of him." She said flatly.

"-oh, come on Lila. In a few years you'll decide that boys aren't gross, and who knows- maybe you'll be dating that boy in a few years." Lila stuck her tongue out at her sister teasingly when her parents finally stopped bickering about 'influencing the kids too much'.

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Lila decided that her mission for the beginning of the school year was to befriend the person she had seen in the bush. She sat at the desk in her bare-bones room, writing a letter to the unknown child.

'Dear..." She began, suddenly realizing the issue. She didn't know if the child was a boy or a girl...but she settled on the kid being a he.

'_Dear Sir (or Miss),_

_I just wanted to leave you this note because you wouldn't talk to me when we first encountered each other yesterday. I understand if you're shy and nervous, but I just wanted to extend my friendship to you if you'd like it._

_-Lila Jane_'

Lila looked over the letter, erasing 'Lila Jane' and just writing her name as Jane. She didn't want someone from school finding it and then labeling her the new girl who was crazy. She had also wanted to try out using her middle name and just going by Jane in her new school.

She fell asleep that night, dreaming of her at a wedding altar and instead of her husband to be there was just a bush. When she awoke, she made a mental note to fake-punch Caroline for suggesting she'd fall in love with this 'bush-boy' of sorts

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Lila kept to letter folded neatly in her pocket throughout the entire day, eagerly participating in tag once more after school and looking out over the fence, pretending to be deep in thought when she was actually looking for the boy. The minutes came and went, and eventually everyone began to head home. She frowned, walking home alone and stopping to grab an apple from Farmer Finch's tree in an attempt to retrace her steps. But still- no one came.

Lila went home that night, eating quietly and not speaking during dinner, her mind only on the subject of why that boy wasn't there again.

Three weeks later, Lila had given up her search for the boy. She left the note at the base of the apple tree, grabbing one last apple and heading home.

After that she rarely stayed after school to play, and just walked home and did her homework. She read books in her spare time, becoming even more submerged in her world of literature.

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Many weeks later, the slightly-cooler autumn and winter weather had graced Gatlin, a slightly cool breeze in the usually-parched, windless air. A pair of dress shoe-clad feet walked through the underbrush of the woods, nearing a clearing. In said clearing was a familiar apple tree.

He noticed the piece of paper of the ground, strategically left instead of thrown there by passerby litter-ees or by the wind. He approached it cautiously, picking it up and unfolding it. His dark grey eyes scanned it, seeming to have lost more of the wonder they had contained- only for it to return as he read the words on the paper. He quickly put the letter in the pocket of his black coat, walking away swiftly and quietly back the way he came.

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**Okay, so this is going to sound a bit needy, but I swear I'm not trying to be a review hog or review whore or whatever the term may be.**

**Just...if you're reading, please review.**

**I know this fandom isn't as big or active as it used to be, so this might be asking a bit too much from you guys...**

**((It's just that I'm really self-conscious of myself, as well as anything that I create, whether it be art, literature, or whatever...and when I get nothing for a while I start to second guess myself. I come to places like this online to try to escape my crippling inability to believe in myself or my work and hide behind a computer screen in hopes that someone might actually enjoy what I do. That's all.))**

**I apologize for this being a waste of space in the chapter- it's just...I needed to get that off my chest.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome to chapter 4, my lovely readers! **

**Enjoy the chapter! :)**

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**Guest (Chapter 3):**

**Aww...thank you! It's reviews like yours that I read on days when I get down and think I'm a bad writer, so that really means a lot to me. :)**

**LadyMirrorMoon (Chapter 3):**

**I'm glad you're waiting for more, and I hope this is to your pleasing! **

**Gracie (Guest) (Chapter 3):**

**I know, right? I wanted to write this fic in a slice of life/coming of age sort of style where we see the characters grow up, and I really liked this one fic in this fandom (I believe it was called 'A Tale of a Southern Belle and a Gatlin Gent' or something like that, but it got it's name changed) and how to showed their relationship progressing and wanted to do something like it, but from my own standpoint.**

**Dark Horse Writer (Chapter 3):**

**Oh my god...I am such a dumbass. I just realized you are THE writer of Dangerous Beginnings. ****THE writer of Danger Beginnings is reading MY story. **** *bows down in inferiority***

**But that aside, I hope the plot holes were sewn up for you a bit by the end of this chapter, and that it's better than the last :)**

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**A very special thank you to the amazing Dark Horse Writer for following this story! :)**

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**Just an FYI that if I don't post anything beforehand- I'll most likely either be writing like crazy or not at all Friday and over the weekend. I'm having surgery to remove my wisdom teeth and I'm going to be out of it for the beginning of Spring Break. **

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**Chapter 4-** _Return to Sender_

Lila walked down the main street of Gatlin, her coral pink heels splashing in the puddles from the day-long rain. Luckily she was smarter than the other girls she was with and decided to wear a pair of shoes that were semi-waterproof.

She wore a bright, floral sundress, her hair kept back with a pink headband. Lila Jane Evers was now sixteen years old, and currently a Sophomore at Gatlin High. The boy hiding in the bush hadn't crossed her mind since the first few months of seventh grade, and she never thought it would ever come up again.

Luckily for Lila, Gatlin had been kind to her and her family. Caroline was graduating in May and was going off to Savannah to specialize in museum curating. Lila was confused even to this day why her sister had suddenly decided to go devote her life to something that she had only voiced an interest in until she had applied already.

Mr. and Mrs. Evers had their steady jobs, which they had kept for over twenty years apiece now. If one could describe a very normal family, Lila believed her family fit the description.

She had matured in both body and mind, becoming a bit more girly and even more of a bookworm. As she walked down the wet sidewalk as the rain stopped, a group of dress-clad girls walking with her.

"-so Jane..." began a blonde girl in an peach colored dress, "-who are you taking to Spring Formal? You're the only one of us who hasn't announced who the lucky man is!" She exclaimed with a joyous squeal and the rest of the group giggled.

"No one." Replied Lila flatly, shrugging her shoulders. Her actions left the others shocked, a second girl with brown curls and a purple floral dress speaking up.

"-why? Mitchell Wate has had a crush on you since the first day of Freshman year!" She whined, which made Lila walk a bit faster.

"Because I'm not going." She replied, rolling her eyes as she got a chorus of "-but _why_?!" from her friends.

Grace, the girl in the peach orange dress took a step forward. "Jane, honey...just because you're as much of a bookworm as a retired widow, doesn't mean that you-" but Lila cut her off immediately. "-'_as much of a bookworm as a retired widow_'?! Is that _really_ what all of you think of me?!" She exclaimed, losing her cool. Janice, the brunette in purple, piped up with "Well...you've always got your nose in a book while the rest of us and doing...ya'know..._normal things_."

"Normal things? _Normal things?!_ Well, _bless your hearts_, girls; but unlike the rest of you, I don't want to become a housewife who's as dumb as a doornail." She retorted, making sure her voice was sickly sweet with her southern accent as she walked away, heels clicking and her head held high in superiority.

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Lila took a moment to reflect on a bench on the sidewalk as soon as she had lost all sight of what she once thought were her friends. Sure, one might have thought that she was just being petty and that it was just a little skirmish between friends, but to Lila it went so much deeper. She knew she was the oddball bookworm who wasn't fixated on makeup and boys all the time like every other teenage girl in Gatlin, but now she was aware her ex-friends knew, too. 'I was probably just their social experiment...'let's take the weirdo nerd and try to make her normal'.' She thought to herself, her hands balled into tight fists at her side.

She knew now that they most likely had never truly been her friends, which caused a pang of pain in her chest, even though she knew she was better off. She had stared off into the distance as she contemplated on the bench, realizing the point she was focusing on was the entrance to the bookstore. She smiled to herself, knowing exactly what her mother would say to her in a time like this. "_Better to be hated than loved for what you're not._" She said blissfully as she walked happily across the street.

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He should have known it was her when she walked in to Gatlin's hole-in-the-wall bookstore. No female in town of her age had an interest in reading, and if one of said age came in it was usually just to buy a book needed for school.

She walked in, quickly walking as quietly as she could to a secluded corner. As soon as he got a glimpse of her face- he knew it was her. Macon had thought about her every once in a while, but now his heart was beating against his chest. He could finally tell reply to that note from so long ago. He ducked into a corner, taking a crumpled piece of paper and an old pen out from his pocket, and began to write. As he finished, he left the note in an book on the floor, darting to the next aisle of shelves as she entered the previous one. As Lila walked down the aisle of books, she spied the one on the floor, and immediately went to go pick it up. As she knelt down, she noticed a piece of paper on top of the open pages.

'_Dear Jane,_

_I know it's been quite too long between correspondences, but I want you to know that your letter was greatly appreciated. I've never truly had a friend before, and I'd like to accept your offer if it still stands._

_Yours,_

_M'_

Lila's heart filled with sudden happiness as she read the note, quickly walking around the bookstore to look for this mysterious '_M_', but he appeared to have already fled. She assumed that he must have been shy and did not want to make face-to-face contact just yet. She took the note, shutting the book as she finally noticed the cover. She smiled to herself as she put the copy of Shakespeare's _The Tragedy of Romeo &amp; Juliet_ back on the shelf.

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Macon stared at the old ceiling of his bedroom, thinking of Lila Jane. Her hair was as auburn as a fall leaf, her skin as smooth as silk. He was already attracted to her beauty, but he knew that wasn't truly a large part of truly loving someone.

He knew for a fact that he needed to interact with her. A mysterious letter every three years was just not going to cut it anymore.

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Lila put the book back on the shelf, only to have a hand come down on her shoulder. She gasped, turning around to face a middle-aged woman. Her dark hair and curious hazel eyes made her feel more at ease, hoping she had just mistaken her for an employee or someone.

"Prudence Statham." She stuck out her hand, which Lila knew from her southern upbringing was practically a sin not to shake, especially that of an elder. "Jane. Lila Jane Evers."

"Oh, an _Evers girl_! I've met your parents, but this is the first time I've had the pleasure to meet one of the girls." She said with a toothy grin. "-now, I don't mean to be nosy..." She stopped, suddenly letting out a light snort, which seemed so loud and unladylike no matter the decibel level. "-aww, 'ta Hell with it._ I'm being nosy_. His name's Macon, and he's one of them Ravenwood folk. Now, I go talkin' to most folk and I just say they're devil-worshippers, but that's not _entirely_ true. There's secrets in that family, Miss Lila Jane, and I'd advise you to really decide whether you want to befriend that boy and know those secrets." She explained, her voice low and secretive. Suddenly she got the large grin back on her face as she began to walk away. "-pleasure meetin' you!"

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**If you like this story or have any constructive criticism, please review! **

**I read and respond to all of my reviews and appreciate every single on immensely.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, readers!**

**I have returned from the wonders of wisdom teeth removal &amp; surgery recovery to present you all with another chapter!**

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**Side note: Has anyone else noticed that there's been a spike in updated fics all of a sudden? Like, almost all of them are Link/Ridley (which isn't my notp, but more like the ship I care least about)...but more activity is more activity! :D **

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**Dark Horse Writer (Chapter 4):**

**Welcome back, dear!**

**Thank you as always for your insight, and I hope (as always) that this chapter is better than the last!**

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**Thank you to the amazing writer Fogs Of Gray for following and adding this story to their favorites! (*squeals of joy from a writer who is unworthy of all these great writers reading my crap*)**

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**Chapter 5-** _The Love Doctor_

It had all started about a year after he had found the letter from Jane. Macon thought about her constantly, his teenage mind fantasizing about the two of them kissing or dancing together at prom like teens did in the movies. He had become so infatuated with the girl, but had no idea how to possibly even court a Mortal. He knew that no Caster, let alone his Incubus family, would assist him- so he went to the only person he knew of in Gatlin who would be perfect for the job.

Prudence Statham was shocked to hear a knock at the door one November day. She almost always knew when a visitor was coming, and she was already aware that she hasn't requested any library books to be delivered to her. She opened the door, immediately recognizing the boy, even though she had never seen him before in her life.

The boy was tall and lanky, yet his formal outfit fit him perfectly- but also made him look like he was either a door-to-door preacher or part of a funeral party. His eyes were a stormy grey, his pupils slightly less black than normal, making him look almost blind. His hair was such a dark shade of brown it was nearly black. His skin was reminiscent of porcelain-pale people from Renaissance paintings, giving his features even more contrast.

"Ravenwood." Prudence said with a nod of acknowledgement, not aware which Ravenwood he was.

"-Macon. Macon Melchizedek." He said with a bow of his head, holding out his hand for her to shake. "-you're Miss Statham, correct?" He asked when she took his hand.

"Yes, indeed. But I don't know why a _Ravenwood_ is on my front porch." She asked, a hint of slyness in her voice.

"-well, ma'am...I came for advice. From someone who knows of the Caster world...but who's ain't exactly sided one way or another due to family relations." He said quietly, not wanting Boo to hear in case Silas sent him to spy on him.

"Ah, I see." She said with a nod, letting him into the house. She sat him down on a couch, heading for the kitchen to bring him a glass of iced tea, which was a Gatlin tradition for guests, as well as just Southern in general. While she was away, he nearly jumped as the decorative pillow to his right was pushed off, revealing a tiny Siamese kitten clawing out from inside the couch itself. "Oh, don't mind Lucille over there. I just got her from a friend. She's a real friendly gal." Prudence said as she brought him a glass of iced tea. She sat down in a recliner across from him, taking a sip from her own glass. "-now Macon, what seems to be the trouble?"

Macon sighed, looking down at his feet for a moment. "-I...I've become...infatuated with someone. A girl...a Mortal girl. You're the least likely to discriminate since you are a Mortal yourself, so I came to you." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"_Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood_. You're what, fourteen-fifteen? You're _supposed_ to find yourself hopelessly in love. It's a part of nature, hon." She said sympathetically. "I can tell you already know the facts of life n' all, _Silas wouldn't sugar-coat it like a Mortal father_, but still- there's more to adolescence than a beard and a baritone voice for you, y'know." She crossed her arms in superiority, thinking that she could finally tell a Ravenwood something that stuck-up Silas didn't know. "-Now Macon...when you get into your teens, you start to see females in a different light. You start to think of them as pretty, and you'll usually get a 'type' of sorts. Everyone does. Curvy, thin, tall or short. You'll get a preference. You'll eventually even go as far as wantin' to 'do the deed' with 'em at some point, but your Daddy would have such a fit I know you wouldn't dare do it."

He shifted in his seat, eyes darting around nervously. "I_ never_ said that I wa-"

"_-nuh-uh-uh_! You'll think about it!" She smirked. "But I know what you mean, sugar. You just want to at least talk to the girl first." She got up from her recliner to sit next to him on the couch, putting a hand on his knee in reassurance. "Macon, you need to approach her like a Mortal would. Now, I'm not saying to completely hide who you are...but just...put the fact that you're an Incubus behind you. You're just a boy who wants to talk to a girl. Just think of it like that." She patted him on the shoulder. "-now you get out there and talk to that girl! No more lollygagin' and feelin' sorry for yourself!" She exclaimed with a grin, pulling him up by the arm and eagerly shoving him out the door, as if expecting him to run off into the sunset like a movie of some sort. But Macon simply bursted out of the house, shocked and surprised by her sudden actions of courage and joy, and began to walk away after a murmur of "thank you, ma'am."

* * *

Years later, Macon Ravenwood rapped on Miss Statham's door excitedly, only to have no one answer. He ran off, heading back into town to finish his business, set on his goal.

When Prudence returned from meeting Lila Jane Evers at the book shop, she found a single message on her answering machine from a local pay phone.

"_Miss Statham, ma'am. It's Macon Ravenwood. I did it._" Before he went on, she momentarily thought he had tried the new 'Speed' drug that popped up in the country, since he was talking so fast. "_I finally talked to her. The mortal girl I talked to you about. Well...not really 'talked', but still! Oh, thank you ma'am! Thank you, thank you, **thank you!**_" And with the last jubilant cry of thanks, the recording ended, but Prudence held the phone in her hand, glancing off into the distance. "You go get that girl, Macon. _You go get that girl!_"

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**That's all for now, folks! **

**If you liked this chapter, please review! **

**I appreciate every single one I get -even guest ones- and reply to them in the next chapter as they are received!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys!**

**I'm here to bring all of you a brand new chapter!**

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**Dark Horse Writer (Chapter 5):**

**I get what you mean with Macon's speech. It was honestly an accident since I'm somewhat flying blind when it comes to Southern dialogue, since I'm from the north. At this point I imagine Macon being somewhat awkward in the sense that he's being torn by internal and external forces to be certain things (like how his family is expecting him to be this badass blood Incubus and follow in the family's footsteps and whatnot), and at this point in the story he's very confused and doesn't even truly know himself what he wants to be in the long run. Basically, I'm ****going a bit of a Ned Vizzini route when it comes to portraying the struggle of adolescence. That make sense? :/**

**Thank you as always for the advice, and I hope I'll be able to use it well! :)**

**Fogs of Gray (Chapter 5):**

**I'm just really good at updating this so far (for once! All of my other stories have fallen flat due to a lack of muse or have been shut down altogether). **

**Thanks again for reading- and and Dark Horse Writer are basically gods of the fandom's fanfic archive, so it's amazing for me to have both of you reading this! :)**

**Jordan (Guest) (Chapter 5):**

**Hello! I don't have a certain timespan when it comes to posting. If I have a chapter done, I post it as soon as possible. Hope that answers your question!**

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**I really want to apologize for this chapter before you read it. It's basically a clusterfuck of Macon's teen-Incubus angst and whatnot. I've been in a writing mood, but I have SLO/Post-Assessments all this week and I'm having issues sleeping. So I don't really expect a ton of reviews on this chapter and you guys really liking it, but screw it, I put my time into writing these little anecdotes and I've never read a fic without a filler chapter here and there.**

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**Chapter 6-** _Internal Conflicts_

Macon sat in the bush, eagerly awaiting the girl he had met a few weeks prior. Silas hadn't allowed him extra time to go out and see her due to extra lectures about Incubi...until now. He sat still, looking for her, but her auburn hair was nowhere to be found. He returned as much as he could, and every time she wasn't there.

* * *

He sat outside against the brick wall, the world around him cold with bricks and metal dumpsters and the remnants of past students coming out to that exact spot behind Gatlin High to take a smoke break. Other times, however, it was for making out during football games and a place for after-school fights.

Macon kicked a cigarette butt out of his way, watching as it plinked quietly against the metal dumpster. He looked around, as if waiting for the girl he had seen so many years ago to pop out of nowhere. He sat there, contemplating life as he watched a few track runners ran past, not noticing him in the slightest. The grungy and dirty area reminded him of the Dark Caster areas in the Tunnels. He'd be running around there, soon. When he finally transformed, he'd become some sly devil who'd smoke and drink and put substances in his body. He'd rip people's throats out and like it...correction: he'd love it.

Macon gagged at the thought of all those horrid things. He had prided in grooming himself into a gentleman, learning to practice chivalry and educating himself independently on the finer things in life. The bookshelves in his room consisted of Socrates, Homer, Darwin, Dickens, and countless other thinkers and historic greats. He was better than a common street-rat that was a blood Incubus. He was more refined and intelligent, and he tried to become more and more so as the years went by, as if crawling out of a hole and away from the ghastly horrors of blood Incubi.

Macon eventually slumped down, back against the wall, pulling a cigarette out of his jacket pocket. He kept it in his mouth, unlit, simply because he knew soon anything besides blood would taste like nothing to him.

* * *

Macon sat on his bed, attempting to read _The Odyssey_ once more. His hands shook ever so slightly- almost so slight, in fact, he didn't realize it until he finally felt the slight vibration in his bones. His arm quickly fell down to the bed covers, causing him to sigh. He took a deep breath, exhaling a quiet "_damn it_".

He could never tell if his emotional ups-and-downs were simply the side affects of hormone-filled adolescence, or is he was beginning to show signs of changing into a full-on Incubus. Hunting was showing signs, but to Macon it was just his older brother being slightly more cocky than usual. He had kept to himself more and more lately, staying out of the way of his father and his hormonal brother. He simply shrugged it off as him being completely enveloped in his studies and recreational reading, but he knew it meant much more. His outlook on life post-transformation became more and more bleak, at times thinking he should steal an old Confederate rifle from one of the many Civil War aficionados in Gatlin and but a bullet through his brain before he would begin to kill off the residents of Gatlin simple so he could survive, and turn turn kill more and more innocent people.

He had already accepted the fact that he couldn't live the life of a true Incubus, and had various options planned. He had already thought of ending it, but only if it got to the point that his life wasn't truly a life and more of being a blood-sucking leech. Another option was a to running for home- and by home, he meant his mother. Arelia hadn't been seen by Macon since she had left with his baby sister Leah over ten years ago. He knew she wasn't one to turn down kin, and knew she was an option if he could hunt her down. A third and final option would be that he would run off into the Tunnels and try to make his way to New Orleans, attempting to find some of the voodoo witch doctors that he had heard through whispered rumors affiliate with Casters.

Either way, his fate hung in the balance- yet was merely a tiny string in the Order of Things, and in the grand scheme of life in said Order, his life was truly unimportant.

* * *

Besides his worries about his own life, a certain thought crossed his mind every month or so. Now, he would never call himself obsessed, and with the circumstances, nor would anyone else. It was like the common thoughts on life's meaning or if reality is all a dream, but thought of less and didn't truly involve the philosophical questioning of life.

_It was thoughts about that girl._

Macon would usually sigh to himself somberly, since it had become a grim reminder of what was and what he could have had- but he had accepted his fate as a monster who didn't deserve the company of Mortals...until love and Prudence's advice got him less than a year later

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Prudence came home from grocery shipping that same fine May week with a blinking light on her answering machine. With a press of the button, a familiar voice came through the phone. "_Mrs. Statham, Ma'am...its Macon again._" His voice said, "_-I...I messed up, I think. I'm not dumb, ma'am. But I think I messed up. I...I just wanted to let you know._" He sighed, sounding like a child on the verge of tears.

As the recording ended, she stabbed the 'redial' button as the pay phone in town rang. With an almost silent ripping sound, Macon appeared out of nowhere, picking up the receiver, knowing exactly who was on the other end. "-hello?"

"_Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood! You quit feelin' sorry for yourself and mopin' in the rain and get your bum at my door as soon as you can_." She said sternly, hearing a knock as soon as she put the phone down.

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**I hope that all of you enjoyed (even thought this was a filler chapter basically filled to the brim with teen angst), and please- if you liked the chapter, leave a review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back with another chapter! Enjoy!**

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**Jordan (Guest) (Chapter 6):**

**Thank you, and not completely as of right now. Already the story is an AU because in the story they meet at Duke, so basically I'm not following book canon exactly, but following the canon of the book-universe itself. Does that make sense?**

**Dark Horse Writer (Chapter 6):**

**Okay, I understand the lack of knowing what time/setting it is. I plan on working on that in future chapters, since I want to emphasize on pop culture when he see Lila in her High School years again. Judging by an approximate age of a minimum of 40 (as of 2015), Lila's High School years would have been at the peak of the 80's. *proceeds to turn on Journey playlist and douse self with hairspray***

**Thank you for the rest of your tips (just because I don't reply specifically doesn't meant I don't see them and learn from my mistakes!) and for just reviewing in general- as usual! :)**

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**A little tidbit of my own personal headcanon that is prominent in this chapter:**

**Macon loses a lot of his diction and general ability to act smart and gentlemanly when he's upset. Hence why he'll be talking quite Southern here compared to usual. (just a heads up so it isn't assumed to be bad OOC writing)**

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**This isn't as much filler as the last one, but it's leading up to a good hunk of words in Chapter 8, I promise!**

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**Chapter 7-** _Emergency Appointment_

"_What has gotten into you, boy!?_" She crossed her arms, looking as if she could've gotten a whip out and beat him.

"I don't understand what you're upset about, ma'am..."

"You. You _rippin'_ to my front door!" She exclaimed, "-do you know how many Mortals could'a _seen_ you?! Do you know how many would _kill_ to slaughter one of the Ravenwood line for _sport_?"

"No, ma'am."

"Dammit, Macon! You've gotta be careful! Not just as a Caster, but an Incubus- and as a _Ravenwood_, too!"

"I'm...I'm sorry, ma'am."

"_Hell you are_." She growled, hastily escorting him to her couch. Lucille Ball had grown into an adult since the first time he had encountered the feline, now sitting atop a bookshelf, looking down at him slyly. Prudence went to shut the windows in the house, since the storm that had gotten Macon wet was heading towards her side of Gatlin. "Now why the hell are you mopein', boy?" She asked as she shut the window as she watched the black clouds boil on the horizon.

"The girl."

"What about her? As far as I'm concerned you sent a note and never tried again to make contact."

"That's it."

"That's why you're upset?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Go on, boy! Explain!"

He hesitated. "I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"_That I'll hurt her._"

The room was silent after he said that, he than let out a sigh before breaking the silence. "I know what my father did. Silas drank...he got angry...he beat my momma' to a pulp...and she left with baby Leah." He said, obviously not wanting to go farther into detail. "-Everyone in the Ravenwood family beat and abused their women. Hell, some even had _multiples_ to use after one was broken. Like _toys_." He said hollowly, his voice soft. "They didn't respect their women because they thought Casters were _weak_, let alone the Mortals and everyone else below that. They wouldn't treat any woman right unless she was 'Cubi, since they're..._we're_ afraid of them." He shrugged. "But still...its a cycle of abuse. And it's gonna' _stop with me._" He said, saying it sternly, yet proudly. Suddenly, his face fell. "...if I can help myself after I transform." He whispered to himself, eyes wide like a child as he stared down at his feet. "I'm scared." His voice cracked as he spoke, "I'm so scared. That I'll truly fall in love and actually go for her. That I'll transform...and that I'll _kill her_."

Her hand touched his knee tenderly, looking at him. "I know this might not be what you want to hear, sugar...but y'know, _it's better to have loved than to have never loved at all._" She explained, "-just...live your life, Macon. You've got time before you transform. You can love, but if it has to end because of your transformation, then so be it. You go live your life before the Order of Things tries to take it from you when you change into a true 'Cubi." He lifted his head, looking at her with his grey eyes like a sad puppy. "You really think I should live my life? Live it to the fullest before I become a monster who probably won't even remember it?" He asked her quietly as she instantly replied with a silent nod. He then leaned into her, imagining her as his mother- who he imagined as being soft and kind yet bull-headed like Miss Statham. Hell, she was the closest thing he had to a mother for years. Her arm automatically wrapped around him as his instincts went straight to wanting a mother figure, and he wrapped his arms around her in something that was half-hug, but also half-grip, in case she would leave like Arelia did. The hug caused silence and lasted for a good three minutes tops, and as soon as Macon attempted to mentally reassure himself, thinking thoughts akin to 'it's all going to be okay' over and over as they hugged, until his brain finally believed it- or at least his brain was believing that ignorance was indeed bliss.

"_Thank you, ma'am._" He murmured, his voice full of joy and optimism for the future he had ahead. Their embraced kept going for a few extra minutes until Prudence let go, giving him a hearty pat on the back. "Now you go on and get home now, you here? Get back before the storm blows in- it's gonna be a _doozy_." Macon nodded, thanking her for all she had done to comfort him, and made a quick exit.

As soon as Macon was gone from view, her smile of pleasure to see him happy immediately turned into a stern expression. She looked over at Lucille, who was contently exercising her paw muscles by clawing at the crocheted blanket that covered one of the chairs. "Lucille," she began, getting the feline's attention as her ears perked up. "You know what to do." She said as the cat immediately stood up and exited the room. "_You shouldn't have left that boy, Arelia..._" He sighed to herself, shaking her head. "_That life of his has eaten him alive._"

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**I hope all of you enjoyed- and remember to leave a review if you liked this chapter! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Multiple updates in a week? The end of days must surely be upon us!**

**(Actually, this chapter has been over a week in the making. A good chunk was written before chapter 6 was.)**

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**Dark Horse Writer (Chapter 7):**

**Whoa...no further issues with my writing? This feels great, and I'm a tad bit in shock, honestly. I'm just glad to make such an amazing writer like you proud! **

**Guest (Chapter 7):**

**I agree that their story is enchanting. It's almost like how _Twilight_ might have gone if it was an actually descent series with a competent writer who only cared about bland female characters and cheesy romance/sexual tension. (-and I agree about having them together at the end. I've read a few fics where she does come back and that happens, and I'm glad the fandom has that little community-headcanon of sorts.)**

**Fogs of Gray (Chapter 7):**

**Thank you so much- it means a lot to me that you read this!**

**I too agree on the accent front, and I'm glad you see my logic. I'm from the Great Lakes area, so having an accent isn't something we're known for (actually, besides a few vowel-drops, people from other cities have deemed us practically accent-less!) and I've only traveled to the south for childhood vacations, so besides reruns of Paula Deen on the Food Network, I'm not too accustomed to Southern dialect. I actually had to look up some things when I wrote Lila's fight with her girlfriends.**

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**Some light character introductions in this chapter, folks! I just wanted to point out yet another slightly OOC thing with Hunting, who officially appears in this chapter. First off, I imagine Hunting to be something akin to Gabriel from _Supernatural_: this coy and cunning mf-er who knows how to play the system and is going to make sure everything works to his advantage. Well, as a teen I imagine Hunting a little bit more of a ditz and a less intelligent when it comes to the simple things. Basically, he's our dash of comic relief. :)**

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**Chapter 8-** _The Beast Inside_

Macon walked down the gravel driveway of Miss Statham's driveway, hearing the distant thunder as the hot wind whipped past him. The sun didn't set until eight now, but the grey storm clouds had already cast a shadow of late evening onto the area. He didn't even cast his own shadow upon the ground, looking into what almost was a world of black and white due to the darkness. The short grass audibly whipped when the wind came in, rattling the screen door of the home he had just exited.

He walked along the dirt road, not wanting to rip again. He kicked up stones and shuffled his feet along the asphalt, taking in the scenery and the weather, reminding himself that soon such darkness would be the only time he could come out into the world besides at night.

No cars drove past to question why such a stranger was walking the roads, apparently already hunkered in to what was going to be quite the storm. The rain hadn't even began by the time he reached the thick swampy woods near Ravenwood, but as soon as he was underneath the Spanish moss, which was somewhat of a cover, the droplets began to hit with great force against the asphalt. The precipitation did not hinder his speed, simply letting the cool droplets bombard him fiercely, as if they themselves were hail. '_At least the rain can still hit me._' He thought gloomily.

As the rain fell, it also hid the footsteps of another being following behind him in the forested area beyond the road. It padded through the moist underbrush, leaves and mud sticking to its insides scorched until black and falling to bits. Macon heard and saw this from a few yards beyond on the road, watching as the creature let out the most fearful yelp as it avoided being crushed by a mere foot or so. "Stealthy as usual, Boo." Grumbled Macon, knowing that the dog must have been following him on either Silas' orders or his own curiosity. Unlike previous encounters alone with the lupine animal, he did not growl in retort, let alone go for his hand with his sharp teeth. Instead, he walked out of the woods, his tail between his legs in only what one could describe as embarrassment. He walked up to Macon like some slower-moving house-dog who had come to greet his master, tail unfurling as he sat in front of the teen, wagging it slightly. "-I'm not falling for it." He growled at the dog, walking away at a faster pace through the rain.

Boo then leaped in front of him before he could even move a yard. "I'm not an _idiot_, you stupid mutt."

He walked around the canine once more, only to be side-swiped. "**_No, Boo!_**" He yelled, his voice faltering and becoming a lower tone when he did, causing him to jump due to the familiarity of the roar.

_He sounded like his father._

This was it. This was his worst nightmare. He let out a cry afterwards the sounded like he was still a child, running for the woods. He didn't even know exactly why he was running, but he was. Maybe he thought he could outrun his transformation and the Caster world in general. He sprinted over the road ditch, running like a deer, not even noticing Boo following close behind. Thunder boomed overhead while bright lightning clashed every few minutes, his hears even picking up the electrical crackle from ones that were close.

He kept running, dodging trees left and right at he did, appearing to be intent on running to a set place, but really he wasn't. He had always heard that runners and joggers get 'in the zone', but had never experienced it until that very moment. His feet squished on the soggy ground and caused him to slide, skidding on the wet grass instead of turning to avoid the tree. With the forces of the world that were karma and irony, Macon fell to the ground, completely unconscious after his cranium made impact with the tree. Boo let out a bark of concern, immediately running to the kin of his master, sniffing him for signs of life.

* * *

It all began when the familiar Siamese cat at her doorstep. When she opened to door, about to begin her usual swatting away of hungry street-cats, she stopped and stood dead in her tracks. The expression of shock on her face quickly changed, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile as she looked down at the creature. "-I never thought I'd see you again, lil' lady." She said plainly as Lucille meowed up at her in urgency, turning her head to reveal a note attached to her lilac collar.

She plucked the note from the fabric, unraveling it and reading it thoroughly, only to slam the door as soon as she finished. Lucille was already inside, sitting on the dark maroon couch in the sitting room. Arelia sat in a claw-foot chair of the matching gothic maroon, her head in her hands as her elbows were held up by her knees, breathing heavily.

The note that was crumpled up in her fist told of her youngest of the two sons she had, whom she had left long ago. He had crumbled under the mental, emotional, and physical strain of life, and she had to be his last hope if no one in Gatlin could help him.

She began to sob, the guilt she had suppressed towards leaving her babies behind for over ten years washing over her like a wave from a dam that had just burst. Leah entered the room, hearing her mother's cries. "What's wrong, mama?" Asked the girl, who was barely thirteen. Arelia simply shook her head, murmuring "-I should've _never_ let him stay there...he wasn't strong like Hunting...he wasn't cut out for growing up under the watch of that _monster_..." She cried, wrapping her arms around her daughter, wishing that it was her son. Leah held her mother, knowing that the issue must have been something with one of the two brothers she never remembered even meeting. Arelia eventually sat up, exhaling deeply. "Leah, I'm going out. Prepare the guest room." She said calmly, heading to the hall by the door, pulling a coat off the rack. "-I'm going to get your brother." She said, maternal instincts giving her blind courage as she walked out the door, Lucille walking right beside her towards the nearest entrance to the Caster Tunnels.

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Boo guarded the unconscious body of Macon, pretending to be hunting squirrels or chipmunks in the woods in case Silas were to check in by seeing through the canine's own eyes. He had caught a few, eating them a resting against his still body as he awaited for him to wake up. He was smart enough to know that the boy wasn't in medical danger, and was simply 'put to sleep by force' in a sense.

He stood guard for ages, hearing human footsteps approach after the third hour. He bared his teeth at first, only to see a face he had only seen in his younger years. He barked, wagging his tail at the figure, who petted Boo in thanks, kneeling down to touch Macon's body.

Arelia kissed the forehead of the young man, refusing to believe her baby boy had grown up. She stroked his hair, which was soaked from the previous rainfall. Lifted him up, holding back tears when his body went limp in her arms.

Meanwhile, as Arelia found the best way to carry her unconscious child, Lucille Ball appeared out of the fog that had come from the cold rain. She meowed at Boo, neither happily nor angrily, staring at Macon. Being a dog, he was naturally born to hate cats, but instead him and Lucille had a pleasant relationship, being the only two Caster animals for miles.

She nodded her thanks to the black canine, walking swiftly as she could to the nearest entrance to the Tunnels, quickly making her way out of Gatlin in hopes of not being seen.

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Hours later, in the dark of Ravenwood, Silas raised an eyebrow, seeing that a certain sulky member of the family had not come to dinner.

"_Hunting_...where is your brother?"

The oldest of the Ravenwood sons looked up at him, giving him a deer-in-the-headlights look as countless strands of spaghetti hung from his mouth. " _'ere ith oo?_" He asked, only getting an eye-roll of disappointment. His younger son did not conform like Hunting did to the Incubui way, but now Silas thanked his other son for his manners.

"Your brother. _Macon_." He replied flatly as his oldest gave a nod as he finished eating what was in his mouth.

"-isn't Einstein Junior busy reading Greek books for the hundredth time over?" He snorted, "-it's not like either of us have a lot of time left to actually _taste_, anyway." He added, seeing that his father's meal consisted of only alcohol.

"_I see._" Silas grumbled, knowing his youngest wasn't Incubus material in general. "House can make his dinner whenever he wants to come out." He said with a huff, returning to his meal of assorted liquors.

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**I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter, and please review if you did! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Jordan (Guest) (Chapter 8):**

**I know if you're coming into this story expecting Macon/Lila all the time and only getting Macon-centric chapters for a while would really be a bummer- but trust me: This is all working in building a plot in which they will meet, and go on to have many chapters centered around the two of them.**

**Dark Horse Writer (Chapter 8):**

**I apologize, for I must have worded my previous reply oddly. Yes, I understand there's always room for improvement, but the fact that there's no 'new advice' so-to-speak from last time is a good sign of progress, right? Also, there will be more about Boo's relationship with Macon later in the story. In a nutshell, basically Boo was trained to be a Caster dog, but not just a Caster dog- a Caster dog for Incubi, since he's practically a Ravenwood family heirloom, right? (I'm assuming from the book canon that Boo has some sort of unnaturally long lifespan of sorts) So as of now I'm making Boo curious of this one Ravenwood who's not like the others, and being a conscious, thinking creature, later decides that Macon's views on Incubi are correct and Silas' aren't, and sides with Macon and basically becomes his buddy.**

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**Chapter 9-** _Momma's Boy_

Macon eventually opened his eyes, quickly realizing he wasn't sitting in the grass and mud of the woods anymore, but in a bed in a sunlit room. He knew from the sunlit part that it wasn't Ravenwood, so Hunting or Silas hadn't found him while he was out cold. He began looking around, trying to find something that might tell him about who found him and where he was.

The bed was on an old metal frame with a head and foot board made out of bent pipe-like material. The mattress wasn't the best, and by the shabby state of the sheets and quilt that covered him, he knew he must be in a guest bedroom of sorts. A small cherry wood dresser sat across from the bed, a coat hanger covered in clothing to the left of it. A small nightstand of the same dark wood sat to his left, only with a coaster and a glass of water donning it. The only other attributes were the old wood floors, the light yellow striped wallpaper, and the window at the other side of the room, which had slightly transparent white curtains that allowed the light to flow into the grabbed the glass, drinking a bit before attempting to stand up. Much to his surprise, he didn't fall, and only wobbled for a few seconds until he finally got balanced. The walked the handful of yards slowly, pulling back the curtains the same way. When he revealed what was behind them to himself, his grey eyes sparkled with wonder like a child.

The New Orleans street contained buildings that were two stories high at a minimum, and almost every non-ground floor contained a roofed balcony. It appeared that he was on the second floor of one of the many buildings, but wether it contained higher levels was a mystery to him. Flags ranging from countries to simply old masked faces from Mardi Gras lined the streets, waving welcomingly in the slight breeze. Ivy and moss grew up the buildings, giving them a pleasantly rustic feel. Even though it seemed to be early in the morning, the sidewalks were bustling with people and the streets were packed with cars. Jazz music that was really a lone trumpet player on the street hit his ears as he opened the window, poking his head out. He felt like a child at the circus for the first time. So full of awe and amazement. The smell of sweet breakfast foods wafted from the streets, making it even more magical.

"Amazing, isn't it?" A voice asked from behind him, causing Macon to whip his head around abruptly. The voice belonged to a woman he hadn't seen since the day she left Ravenwood, her eyes bloodshot and puffy from crying as a tiny version of him watched her leave for the last time. He immediately recognized her dark brown hair that was almost black and her sparkling hazel eyes. He ran to her without question, wrapping his arms around her. "_Momma_" he gasped, nuzzling into the crook of her neck as she ran her long fingers through his hair, tears welling up in her eyes. "My baby." Arelia murmured, kissing his cheek. "-_my baby boy_...I should've never left without you..." She cried as he wrapped his arms around her tighter. "-but I'm here now." He said optimistically. His mother nodded, breaking the hug as a way to force herself to stop crying. She wiped her tears with her fingers, pulling herself together quite quickly, as if this was something that happened very often to her.

She sat next to him on the bed, not going into any deep questions just yet. "-you had quite the head wound..." She commented, fluffing his hair gently. "If you were a Mortal you would've probably been dead by the time I got you." Macon raised his eyebrows, but she went on before he could speak. "-Prudence Statham is an old friend of mine, and Lucille Ball is a gift I gave to her. I got a letter about how the world you were in there had practically eaten you alive, and I wasted no time coming to take you away from your bastard father and your terrible life. But when I arrived, there was only Boo, who led me straight to you- all bloody with a gash on your head. You better thank the Lord your mama knows wound sewin', or you would've bled out right then and there." Macon simply looked up at her instead of giving thanks, knowing that she'd only say something to the affect of '_that's what Mommas' are for_'. After a few minutes of silence, simply enjoying each other's company, Arelia finally added "Let's get you some breakfast. Your little sister's probably chompin' at the bit to get some food." She said with a slight smile tugging her lips upward.

The home was a lot like the guest room- it looked lived in, but not too lived in. Just like Ravenwood. The walls were mostly bare, since family photographs were hard to come by and would've just given them bad memories. He walked down the stairs behind her, realizing he had been changed into a clean dry set of his own clothes, minus shoes, his belt, and his suit jacket. The rumpled dark button-up with a combo of the wrinkled pants and lack of shoes made him look less like a gentleman and more like a teenager who had woken up late for work.

The kitchen was modest, painted a creamy yellow that had faded to almost beige, the cabinets white and peeling, but in the way it seemed that they were used and cared for. Arelia lit the gas stove, grabbing a black pan and a carton of eggs from their refrigerator.

"-you like eggs, Cher?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"You don't need to '_ma'am_' me, son." Her lips curved into a smile.

"Yes, ma- _Momma_."

She smirked "That's more like it. Now, how'dya like 'em done?"

"Scrambled, please."

She kept making his breakfast as footsteps neared the entrance to the room, grey eyes identical to his peering over the side of the wall.

"You're not hiding from anyone, Cher. Now come say hello to your brother."

She obeyed, slowly showing herself. Her hair was a mass of long, dark waves, her body tall and thin. "-_hello_." She said abruptly, refusing to make eye contact as she pulled out a chair, sitting across from him. "Hi." He replied, taking her in. "-you're so old...the last time I saw you, you were just a baby." He added, mesmerized by the sudden new concept of having a sister.

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugged, her long hair hiding her face like a curtain. She looked down at the bowl of bland cereal she had come in with, eating to avoid conversation. '_Who am I kidding? She doesn't remember me. I'm a complete stranger_' he thought to himself as Arelia sat down three plates filled with fluffy scrambled eggs and sizzling bacon. When a plate was given to her, Leah's eyes opened wide, grinning from ear to ear "thank you, momma!" "Thank your brother, Cher. If it wasn't for him bein' here today would've been another _cereal Thursday_." She let out a light chuckle as she glanced at her two children. "My two babies. Together at last." "What about Hunting?" He asked abruptly, the room suddenly going quiet. Eventually her head turned to him.

"-I dunno much about what's happened over the years, Macon. But I _do_ know your brother is a prime example of a _radical Ravenwood_\- especially your _father's_ branch since they're not the brightest bulbs." She commented sternly, "I disowned him. Heard in the Tunnels he was runnin' with a Blood Pack over the state line in Georgia, and that's _not_ how I raised my boys. _Any of you_, for that matter." eyeing both of them. "_Yes, ma'am._" They replied in unison, theirs heads down as if her gaze would incinerate them. "_Good._" She smirked, enjoying the superiority she had when it came to her children. She loved them, but at the end of the day they needed to know who was 'top dog'. After her slight outburst of authority, the three went back to eating. Besides the crunch of bacon and the light clang on silverware against plates, no one spoke. Macon heard birds chirping, glancing at the kitchen window. It was open, allowing sweet May air into the house, a sparrow sitting on the outer edge of the windowsill, singing its sweet song. He let out a sigh to himself, taking a sip of milk as the breeze slightly moved his hair.

_He felt like he was home._

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**Well, that's all for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, and please review if you did!**


	10. Chapter 10

**ZabuzasGirl (Chapter 1):**

**Ask and you shall recieve, my friend!**

**Dark Horse Writer (Chapter 9):**

**I see your points, but I do have an explanation for the New Orleans one. Since I write details that are not as they seem on purpose at times- this is a great example that I'm going to delve into later. When he first wakes up, Macon sees New Orleans as a wonderful safe haven compared to Gatlin, and it's basically him 1- waking up from being unconscious and possibly hallucinating or just a bit groggy, and 2- him making the city seem to be better than it is due tot he fact he's left Gatlin behind to be with a parent and sibling that actually care about him and his well being. (Did that make sense? It's hard to put my ideas into written words at times...) But still- I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

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**Thank you to ZabuzasGirl for adding this story to their favorites!**

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**This chapter is basically a bunch of drive-by snippets from various characters, but I promise a full chapter will be up next. This also deals with a lot of a teenage 'confusion' of sorts and simply over thinking in Lila's portion (so please don't think I'm writing her as a Disney princess who dreams of a 'great wide somewhere').**

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**Chapter 10-** _Worlds Collide_

'_Two households, both alike in dignity_

_In fair Verona, where we lay our scene_

_From ancient grudge break to new mutiny_

_Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._

_From forth the fatal loins of these two foes_

_A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life_

_Whose misadventured piteous overthrows_

_Do with their death bury their parents' strife._'

Lila shut the book immediately, grimacing. "Sorry William, but I don't think this is the love story I'm looking for." She said before putting the copy she had bought in its rightful place on her bookshelf. The copy had intrigued her with the note, and she felt even more so when Ms. Statham had hinted that the man writing them was actually her age and wasn't a creep of some sorts.

She laid her head back down on the sheets, her legs propped up by the headboard of her bed. '_Why is love so weird?_' She contemplated, '_Everyone says I'll get crazy about it as a teen, but I'm not. Is there something wrong with me? Do I need to see a doctor? Shock therapy?_' Her eyes stared up at the ceiling, blinking only a few times. '_Maybe it's here? Maybe I'm not meant to love anybody in Gatlin. Maybe there's someone out there..._'

Lila shook her head, as if in an attempt to shake the thoughts from her mind. Caroline had been away at college for two years now, so she had taken the larger bedroom. Her current room was minimally decorated with light taupe walls, the only wall space occupied was by oak furniture. On her dresser sat a vinyl record player, with countless albums scattered around it. _U2_, _Guns N' Roses_, _Journey_, and countless other artists donned the cardstock sleeves.

Her bookshelves had multiplied since her family had first moved to Gatlin, since her lack of a large social group led her to find solitude in the local bookstore. She got a job there for the summer, but even then she never saw the mysterious boy who wrote the note left in what was now her own copy of Romeo &amp; Juliet. It wasn't an obsession, but more of an unsolved mystery that would eat away at her mind when she thought about it.

As she tried to do every time, she ignored the lingering questions and picked up her copy of _To Kill A Mockingbird_ to distract herself. The book was now a lot more worn since she first got it in middle school, but showed her love for the novel in its cracked binding and dog-wares pages. He opened it up one more time, taking in the almost otherworldly atmosphere of the novel.

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He knocked on the dark wooden door. "_Macon_?" Hunting asked quietly, waiting for a response that never came. He knocked a second time, yet again not getting a reply. He easily ripped into the room, appearing out of thin air. Before he could say something, he realized the room was empty. The bed was made, as Macon always did in the morning, and everything was in its place. No sign of him, but no sign of him deciding to leave. Hunting shrugged to himself, spinning the globe on the table for a bit before leaving the room.

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"_Then it's settled_." Silas purred as Hunting told him if Macon's disappearance. "-go take the Hearse and find the boy."

Hunting stared at his father blankly before he scratched the back of his neck. "I dunno, Pa...I mean, he's my brother but...I'm not gonna stop him if he wants to leave." The proceeding groan of "You are _such_ an _imbecile_" made Hunting stare blankly, until almost two minutes later his eyes brightened with sudden realization. "_Ohhhh_" he said with a stupid grin, "-I can go after him because I'm still able to go into_ sunlight!_"

He grabbed the keys to the car, opening the front door. "Don't worry, Pa! I'll find him!"

Silas merely took a long sip from his current bottle of gin, murmuring something about this being a '_suicide mission_', but '_Darwinism will prevail_'.

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Lila was mowing the lawn of her family's home, which was one of her regular summer chores. After fifteen minutes of fighting to get it to stay on, she pulled the chord hard enough and got to work. By the time she was three fourths of the way done, a sleek, black vehicle slowly drove down the road. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a hearse, and it had stopped in the road; right in front of her.

She pulled the chord, the lawnmower's buzz slowing down into silence as she walked over. As he neared him, the loud sound of '_Maneater_' died down as well. The blacked-out window came down, revealing a boy around her age. In the seat he appeared tall and lanky, with medium-length hair that was an almost indescribable shade between dirty blonde and dark grey. He wore a pair of Levi's that were ripped in multiple places, along with a plain white t-shirt covered by a black leather jacket. "_Hey..._" He began, as if suddenly feeling awkward about the whole situation. "Is there anything I can help you with?" Lila asked in place of a greeting, seeing the boy surely wasn't familiar, let alone from around here, and probably just needed directions. "-Yeah, umm...I was honestly wondering if you've seen anybody wandering around town? Looks kinda like me, 'round your age, and dressed like a rich kid in a Dickens' novel?" All he received was a slow shake of her head before she asked "You're not from around here, are ya'? Because here in Gatlin, if there was a unfamiliar person walkin' about, the entire town would've either planned the welcome party or called the sheriff within two minutes." She said with a slight shrug, "Hope you find him, though!" She said before pulling the cord again, and going back to her chores.

Hunting shook his head after he rolled the window up, realizing how ironic his family's lives were inside of a town that knew everyone's business and then some. His fingers turned at the dial, the end of '_Maneater_' blaring as he gunned the gas and sped off, looking for his runaway brother.

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**A/N: I'm aware in book canon Hunting his considered to look very "Hollywood" and be about equal in intelligence compared to Macon, so if any of you knew that beforehand I can imagine your thoughts on how I characterize him. I just wanted to let anyone reading this know that this slight gap between canon and the story will be closed eventually, and it's not an ongoing complete disregard of canon.**

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**Thank you for reading; and if you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!**


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